The Hardest Dish to Brew
by selenia-sopheria
Summary: "I'm Tear's boyfriend," Luke spoke aloud, just to test the waters. The words formed the strangest taste on his tongue, and yet, he found himself savoring them. Luke/Tear


**You wouldn't believe how many times I've changed the idea of this story. Eventually it turned into something totally different without any real plot, but I'm actually pretty satisfied with the way things turned out. I hope the point I was trying to make won't confuse anyone… Well, here's a quick Luke/Tear one-shot for all! Enjoy!**

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Luke and Tear's relationship was definitely questionable—to Luke, at least. To everyone else, though, it seemed pretty obvious. "Name one time they _haven't_ acted like a married couple ever since they met," challenged Anise once, and the lack of a response from Guy was all the answer she needed.

But no matter how obvious the group claimed their relationship to be, Luke didn't understand it. He couldn't. For one thing, their definition of "married couple" seemed a stark contrast to his. Didn't spouses often bicker and give each other the silent treatment afterward? But behind the hostile demeanor, didn't they secretly care for each other?

…Well, okay. So maybe Anise was right. Oh, Yulia. Luke and Tear were _married_. Not officially, of course, but they sure acted like they were. No, no, no—there was no way he had _those_ feelings for Tear; he definitely had feelings, he admitted, but not _feelings_. After all, just because they acted like a married couple didn't mean they _were_ a married couple, right? Tear was nothing more than a friend, anyway. Besides, friends could be like that…right?

…Still, Luke embraced the possibility.

What on Auldrant would being in an intimate relationship with Tear be like? What would being in a _relationship_ be like? Even though he'd been engaged to Natalia for a few years now, they've never really shared any intimate feelings for each other, so he wouldn't really know how those relationships worked. It wasn't like their engagement was genuine, anyway. When Asch came along, it was like they'd completely forgotten about it. Natalia's true love was Asch, after all, and Luke's true love was…

He would have finished the sentence if it didn't feel so…weird. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Luke was in denial, or maybe it was because he was unused to the idea of him and Tear being an_ item_, whatever the hell _that_ meant. Yet there was something inside him, something in his heart and conscience, seemingly urging him to say it out loud (even though it wasn't true). And for some unfathomable reason, he wanted to try it out.

So Luke excused himself from the campsite, ignoring Guy's protests and Natalia's cautions not to go far, and wandered deep into the clump of trees nearby. The darkness of nighttime greatly hindered his vision, making him smack eye-first into a few unusually sharp branches, but he kept moving forward until he was positive the others wouldn't hear him.

He ended up in some sort of clearing, where the moonlight alluringly illuminated the center. Well, he was pretty sure he was out of the group's sight and hearing by now, so what was there to be afraid of? The sounds of moving water and crickets chirping soothed him to an extent, made him relax. So, with one quick look around and a deep intake of breath, he opened his mouth.

"I'm Tear's boyfriend," Luke spoke aloud, just to test the waters. "Tear is my girlfriend." The words formed the strangest taste on his tongue, and yet, he found himself savoring them. "I'm Tear's boyfriend," he repeated, although he wasn't exactly sure why. "Tear is my girlfriend."

The most peculiar urge to smile was too hard to suppress, so Luke let himself smile.

"Tear and I are an item," he tried. The taste was slightly less appealing, but that was because he wasn't familiar with it. "Tear and I are married. Tear and I are a couple. Tear and I are a married couple."

Wanting more, Luke decided to add some more flavor.

"Tear and I are lovers," he murmured, slightly flustered by the extra spice. "Tear and I love each other. Tear loves me."

He froze, hesitant to take the last bite. But he did, anyway.

"I love Tear."

It was the most overwhelming burst of flavor on Luke's tongue, and he found his face madly heating up from the taste of it. But somehow, it was the most delectable of all. He resisted the urge to say it again, to take another bite. But he felt it was enough for the night. After all, it was only the appetizer. The real deal would have to come some other time.

Luke wished Tear would try some, too.

Somewhere in the trees, somewhere farther away, there was the slightest sound of a rustle. Luke would have heard it, if he'd been listening more closely, but he didn't. He never did. But that was okay. Tear's cover wasn't about to get blown just yet. And it wouldn't, until Luke was able to handle the taste of those three words.

That taste had been lingering on Tear's tongue for quite some time now, so it was only natural that she was used to it. Still, just like Luke, she knew it wasn't the real thing. The main course was still being prepared, and it wouldn't be complete until Luke found the right ingredients for it. Tear's share of ingredients has already been placed in the pot. But she was completely fine with being patient—love was a difficult dish to make, after all.

She smiled from her hidden place in the trees. After hearing Luke take his first bites, she wanted to try some for herself, even if she'd already eaten some before. Still, it never hurt to constantly remind herself of its tantalizing flavor.

"I love Luke."

There was nothing distinct in the way the taste fell on their tongues. The only difference was this: while Luke would need some time to adjust to it, Tear was able to handle its spice.

Nevertheless, they both basked in the flavor, and they both savored it. That was all that mattered; that was all they needed to know to understand that the dish was on its way to completion, that they were both placing in the correct ingredients.

They were both on the right track.


End file.
